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Cops indicted for purportedly abusing suspect

January 5, 2015

Beer Sheva resident Abraham Mehri has been feeling relieved for the past week after gathering the courage to approach the Police Internal Investigations Department to complain about abuse he had endured in a previous police interrogation.

But only on Sunday morning, when he heard an indictment had been issued against the cops who abused him – chief among them Beer Sheva’s intelligence officer, Oren Savag – did he allow himself to smile. “I carried the fear around all the time,” he said. “I was sure no one would believe me.”

According to the indictment, Beer Sheva policemen abused Abraham, and one of them poured boiling water on him. Scars from the water can still be seen on his body. “I want to testify at a trial,” he said, “and look him in the eye and tell everyone, including his family, what he did to me.”

Abraham’s nightmare began after he was arrested while trying to sell jewelry to a shop about three years ago. He was suspected of possessing stolen property. “They brought me in to be interrogated, where they took me to the intelligence officer, Oren,” he said. “This was after I had already been interrogated by an investigator and another officer, whom I told that I had found the jewelry. I thought there wouldn’t be another interrogation.”

Abraham was taken to the intelligence officer’s room, which he said is where the terrible ordeal began. “There was another officer next to me in the room, and I thought it was another interrogation. I remember that he went and boiled some water; I was certain he would offer me a hot drink, some coffee or tea.” But the officer had other plans. Apparently, the water was intended as an interrogation tool to pressure him.

“He came near me and poured water on my thigh,” Abraham recalled. “I screamed. ‘What are you doing?’ I asked. Then he asked again where the jewelry came from. I replied that I found it, but he was unconvinced. He approached the kettle again and boiled the water, then poured it on my other leg. He did it again a third time, when he poured the water down my shoe. The pain was horrendous. I told him I would sign everything, anything he wanted, if he would leave me alone.”

But according to the indictment and Abraham’s testimony, the officer ignored his pleas. He used the kettle a fourth time and filled a cup. “He approached me from behind, pulled my shirt, and poured the water on my back. I felt excruciating pain and screamed. I can’t describe how it felt.”

After Abraham was allowed to leave the room, his skin began swelling and police decided to take him to a hospital. “I remembered the sentence he said to me – ‘Next time we won’t take you to a judge’ – and I was very scared,” he said. “I was afraid that the next time, they would just make me disappear, and that’s also the reason I told the nurse at the hospital that I was burned by water at my home. I later heard the detectives who brought from the hospital back to the station saying they were stunned by what had been done to me.”

He was released after a few days and went for medical checkups, but he kept the grim secret to himself. About two years ago, he was jailed for a year. He went through a process of rehabilitation, where he met with social workers and held social meetings, and decided to turn a new leaf. He also became religious there, which he said strengthened him. “Everyone in my family knew the real story, but I was afraid to complain out of fear of harassment,” he said.

He decided to approach PIID a week ago. “It was a quick decision,” he said. “I decided I didn’t want to keep these things to myself anymore and approached them. I didn’t think they would believe me, but they treated me wonderfully, gave me confidence, and for the first time I saw someone believe me. I felt empowered and that gave me some satisfaction.”

The policeman’s lawyer, attorney Avi Himi, said in response: “This is a malicious and wicked plot. It never happened. There was no water, whether hot or cold, and I believe that in court we will prove that the police officer’s hands are clean. I have no doubt that there are people who wish to do harm to the officer, but they will fail.”